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Intergalactic Battle Tunes

    
       
       
       
     
             
Sculforge are a power metal band from Germany formed in 2020, releasing their debut album 'Intergalactic Battle Tunes' in 2023...    
             
...or to give the album its full title 'Intergalactic Battle Tunes...Stories From Behind The Dark Side Of The Moon To The Milky Way And Beyond!'. Phew, what an incredible title! Just as incredible as the albums run time - a phenomenal seventy minutes! And with a tracklist confirming an astounding twenty-six songs, Sculforge don't do things by halves! Although when you delve deeper into the list, you notice that many of the songs are less than a minute in length, all turning out to be short narration-led interludes, that greatly enhance the storytelling feel of the album. And what a story they tell! Sit back, relax, and let Sculforge take you on a journey like no other - the band an energetic mix of iconic power metallers Blind Guardian and Helloween. And for the purposes of my review, I will only be looking into the songs, and not the interludes - so strap in, hold on, and get ready for some high velocity, action packed power metal!    
             
So in-between all the storytelling narration, you will find twelve "proper" songs, the first of which 'Lost In The Warp' is a blistering cacophony of all out metal! The speed of 'Lost In The Warp' is incredible, the level of head bang ability phenomenal, leaving listeners jaws hitting the floor with a tremendous thud. And without missing a beat, the band power on with the red hot scorching 'For The Omnisavior', blazing a fiery trail of flames and smoke as it hurtles across the land at a speed much faster than the speed of light. Sculforge have literally set light to the speedy power metal genre, displaying a pace and power great enough to knock the "kings of extreme speed metal" DragonForce out of their stride! Sculforge march on with the heaviest, quickest, and most impressive song heard so far - 'Spacehull' a thundering tirade of top notch melodic power metal. The level of head bang ability has doubled since the opening salvo, metalheads all around the world banging their heads so violently, necks are gonna break! Which goes to accompany the sound of breaking bones! What an absolutely barnstorming treble to open your debut album.    
             
A barnstorming treble that quickly becomes a quadruple - 'The Sovereign Projects' maintaining the bands electrifying power metal stance. The speed is breath taking, Sculforge not stopping to allow listeners a breather from the incredible intensity of the album so far. Are the band making a charge for the Album Of The Year title? Methinks so, 'Intergalactic Battle Tunes' definitely in the running for Best Debut Of The Year. 'Slave To The Machine' picks up the baton from the previous song, smashing listeners round the head with it! The band raise the levels of intensity, pace and power to new heights, planting feet firmly on the monitor, standing proudly on the bridge between the power, and traditional heavy metal genres. This is superb stuff from a new band making an emphatically dramatic entrance into the worldwide metal scene. Remember the mid eighties when Helloween emerged with their self titled debut E.P. - forging a sound that was thrashy yet melodic, speedy yet not too speedy, single-handedly re-writing the power metal genre? Well that's the exact same sound Sculforge have gone for here, with 'Extermination' a prime example! The heavier, thrashier, full on and in your face metal style is an incredible listening experience, A simply fantastic first half to 'Intergalactic Battle Tunes', let's see what the second half has to offer.    
             
A half that gets underway with the eight minutes plus 'A New Hope' - featuring a majestic Iron Maiden-esque intro, with melodies and harmonies filling the air like billowing smoke. Melodic power metal has never sounded so good, the band firmly pressing the pedal to the metal and accelerating to top speed. The melodious intent here is incredible, (the aforementioned) DragonForce quaking in their boots as a young pretender to their "kings of extreme speed metal" crown comes charging towards them! And with even more majesty than the previous song, 'Glorious' enters the fray and powers on with all the might of a supersonic jet! The speed is tremendous, the band delivering the most sing a long-able chorus heard so far. The anthemic chant of "glorious" is gonna have every listener, fan and follower screaming along at the tops of their lungs. The album began terrifically, and has just got better and better! And still with no sign of a breather in sight, Sculforge storm on with 'The Escape', blending together everything great about the genres of power and heavy metal. And with a little more aggression than heard anywhere else previously! What a roller coaster ride of stunning twists and turns!    
             
Marching on, methinks the band don't know where the brakes are! 'Kings Of The Battlefield' roars on with all the intent and purpose of a jet fighter flying off to war - Sculforge melding speed with highly melodic metal to superb effect. To say this album has been stunning could be one of the biggest understatements of the year. Maybe even the last few years! The band have impressed greatly, and continue to do so with 'Follow Me', the band going as far to usurp fellow countrymen (and power metal legends) Rage with a brand of thrashy, heavy/power metal with an insane level of intensity! For Rage are masters of this style, basically making it their own over the course of the bands forty year career. And bringing the album to a close, Sculforge keep the throttle wide open, 'Heart Of Darkness' storming on with all the ferocity of a hurricane. 'Intergalactic Battle Tunes' has been a phenomenal journey of storytelling elegance, all twelve songs on offer glued together by the narration-led interludes. And to sum up the last seventy minutes, "fucking fantastic". But wait a minute! What's that? There's one more song! 'Sculforge Inn' a two and a half minute sea-shanty sounding jig, similar to a drinking anthem by sailors, or even pirates!    
             
Overall, a stunning debut of incredibly fast paced power metal with immense intensity and a sky high level of head bang ability.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
Review is also featured at Metal-Roos    
             
             
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